William spielman



(No Model.)

W. SPIELMAN- RAILROAD SWITCH.

00j l Rl T gaf BY 1/MW 45M (/C//f/ Y 1 ATTORNEYS.

N. PETERS. mumu'nugmpm. wnhingwn, o c.

\VILLIAM SPIELMAN, OF ONEONTA, NEW YO'RK, ASSIGNOR TO THOMAS H.ROOKWELL, OF SAME PLACE.

RAILROAD-SWITCH.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 272,789, dated February20, 1883.

d Application tiled September 21, 1882. (No model.)

To all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM SPIELMAN, of Oneonta, in the county otOtsego and State of New York, have invented a new and useful Improvementin Railroad-Switches, of which the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming partof thisspecitication,in

xo which similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

Figure l is a plan view oi a part ot' a railroad-track to which myimprovement has been applied. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation of the t5same, taken through the linea' x, Fig. l. Fig. 3 is a sectionalelevation ot the same, takin through the line i/ y, Fig. 1. Fig. 4. is apart of the View shown in Fie'. 3, but showing the switch-lever swungoutward. Fig. 5 is asec- 2o tional elevation ot' the same, taken throughthe line z e, Fig. 4.

The object ot' this invention is to prevent trains of cars from runningoli1 the track at misplaced switches; and to this end the inventionconsists in the peculiar construction and arrangement of parts, asAhereinafter fully described, and pointed out in the claims.

A represents the cross-ties; B, the rails of the main track; O, therails ot' a side track,

3o and D the switch-rails. rEhe switch-rails D are hinged at one end torail-chairs E, rest and slide upon wear-irons F, attached to the ties A,and are connected by tie-rods G. The tie-rod G at the free ends of theswitch-rails D projects at one end at the outer side ot' the track, andto it is hinged the end ot a conmeeting-rod, H, the other end of whichis hinged to a crank, I, attached to or formed upon the end of theswitch-shaft J. The

4o switch-shaftJ rocks in bearings K,attached to the projecting ends oftwo cross-ties A, and `to its other end is rigidly attached a lever, L,.which has a weight, M, attached to its free end, ot' sufcient gravityto hold the lever L in place when turned down in either direction. Thecrank I is made of such a length that a half-revolution of the shaft Jwill move the free ends of the switch-rails D through the space betweenthe ends of the main-track 5o rails B and the side-track rails C.

It' desired, an ordinary switch-target can be connected with theswitch-shaft in the usual manner.

As thus far described, there is nothing new in the construction.

N are the guard-rails, which are placed at the inner sides ot' the innermain-track rail B and the inner side-track rail O in the usual manner.The ends ot' the guard-rails N farthest from the switch-rails D aresecured in chairs O, which are hinged to the tie A by bolts, so that theother ends ofthe said guardrails can have a lateral movement. The endsof the guard-rails N'next the switch-rails l) are connected by atie-rod, P, the endot' which next the switch-shalt J is extended beneaththe rails B O, and isbent up ward at the outer side of the outer rail O,and to it is hinged the inner end of a connecting-rod, Q.

Upon the outer end ot the connecting-rod Q is formed, or to it isattached, a crank-pin, R, which enters a curved slot, S, in the lever Lata distance from the switchshaft J less than the length of the crank I.As the free curls of the guard-rails N have to be moved only through adistance about equal to the thickness oi' the ange ot' an engine-wheel,and the lever L has to move through the arc ot' a semicircle, it isnecessary that the crankpin It should be stopped and prevented fromdropping to the end ot' the slot S. Another necessity for stopping thecrank-pin R and preventing it from dropping to the end of the slot Sarises from the fact that the said crankpin R must be kept above thelevel ot' the switch-shaft J, so that it Will have sufficient leverageto operate the level' L, and thus move the switch-rails D when theconnecting-rod Q is moved longitudinally. The crank-pin R is stoppedandprevented from dropping down too low by a shoulder, K', formed uponthe bearingin which the switch-shaft J rocks, as shown in Fig. 5. Withthis construction, when the switch-rails D are in line with themaintrack rails B, and an engine is upon the sidetrack rails C andmoving toward the said switch-rails D, the liange ofthe forward wheel ofthe engine will force the rail N away from the rail (Land thus operatethe lever L to bring the switch-rails D into line with the side- IOOtrack rails C, so that the engine can pass on safely. In the samemanner, if the engine is npon tbe main-track rails B and moving towardthe switch, and the switch-rails D are in line with theside-track railsC, the ange ot' the forward Wheel ot' the engine will force the rail Naway from the rail B, and thus'operate the lever L to bring* theswitch-rails D into line with the main-track rails B, so that the enginecan pass on safely.

NVith this improvement it will be impossible for an exigirle to bethrown from the track by an open switch.

I am aware that a lever having a segmental slot in which a pin on theend of a lever connected to the switch-rails Works has been secured tothe pivot of two Weighted arms, and its outer end adapted to beconnected to either ofthe said weighted arms; and I am also aware that aWeighted lever arranged upon a rock-shaft to which the guard-rails areconnected has been provided with a crank-pin from which a rod extends tothe s \vitchrails, and I therefore do not claim such inventions.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new, and desire tosecure by Letters Patent, iS

l. In a railroad-switch, the combination, with the switch-rails D, thetie-rod G, theeonmeeting-rod H, the crank-shaft J, and theoperating-lever L, provided with the curved slot S, ofthe movableguard-rails N, the tie-rod P, the connecting-rod Q, having a crank-pin,R, Working in the slot of the sai-d lever L, and means for limiting themovement ofthe crankpin in the slot, substantially as herein shown anddescribed, and for the purpose set forth.4

2. In a railroad-switch. the combination, with the switch-rails D andthe shaft J, journaled in bearings K, one of which is provided with theshoulder K, of the lever L, provided with the slot S, the tie-rod P, andthe connecting-rod Q, havingcrankpin R on its end, Working in the saidslot, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

WILLIAM SPIELMAN.

Vitnesses CHARLES L. WILBUR, THoMAs H. RooKWELL.

